HAPPINESS

As the New Year chimes ring out and fireworks illuminate the night sky at midnight, along with the sense of unbridled hope and expectation for the year ahead comes the opportunity for change and new beginnings. This could be changing something physical, spiritual, emotional or even geographical. Typically the temptation is to set oneself up for failure, to take on a resolution which is not just unattainable but also a sentence to weeks if not months of misery. Instead, this year make a positive choice not to deprive yourself of anything but to focus on achieving something positive which will not just enhance your life but also those closest to you. It should be about positive choices not personal deprivation. Why not resolve to embrace every opportunity placed before you or choose to do one selfless thing every week or perhaps spend more time moving than being sedentary, a much nicer prospect than dragging yourself to the gym every day. Reluctantly.

Someone taught me a valuable life lesson this year and that was to take the positive elements from any situation and focus on this rather than dwell on things which that can’t be changed and ultimately don’t matter in any real sense. Life is about choices and every action is linked to a choice we have made in some way. 2019 should be about choices. Choices which we should see as opportunities as opposed to obligations. Don’t saddle yourself with a millstone around your neck as the New Year dawns. Make a choice which will amplify the good, intensify the joy and magnify the reasons you feel grateful for the life you have built or are indeed building.

This same wise owl also gifted me with the following definition which both intrigues and delights me, “Happiness is the distance between Expectation and Reality…….. our expectations and aspirations should not be stifled or censored but rather tailored to meet our capabilities and actuality.” Embracing this nugget of knowledge will guarantee a year of success and fulfilment, not just for yourself but hopefully it will filter through to those you influence and love. However, the final element of this formula - reality is ultimately controlled by you. The impetus, motivation and resilience you employ when upholding your resolution will dictate ‘reality’. Ultimately the key to happiness is in your hands. You dictate the expectation (your resolution) and choose to behave in a way that makes this a reality. Also, embrace those chocolates - they release positive pheromones in your brain!